Vaporizer



'Petentedlvfar. e, 1924i@ l, narran4 'sra rss earner onirica.

OECRLES E. REDDIG, OF RICHMOND HILL, NEW-YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. f

-veronizna Application led August 22, 1919.' Serial No. 319,055.

To aZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it knownl that l, CHARLEs E. Rennie, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond Hill, inthe county of Queens, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vaporizers. of which the following is a full, clear,

concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to vaporizers for use in connection -with internal combustion engines and more articularly to a vaporizer especially adaptedp for-producing an explosive mixture at the time of starting such an engine. Y v l In various types-of internal combustion engines trouble is experienced at starting due to the fact tha-t the fuel often cannot be satisfactorily vaporized without applying heat, and furthermore, if the engine is cold the vapors quickly condense on the walls of the cylinder and other metal parts until such parts are heated as the result ofthe operation of the engine. This is particularly true in the case of engines which employ kerosene as the fuel oil, since kerosene is much less yolatile than gasoline which is more commonly used. ln connection with engines employing kerosene, it has been the usual practice to provide arrangements for starting the engine with gasoline and, after` the parts have become heated in operation, to discontinuel the supply of gasolinefand provide in its place a supply of kerosene for maintaining the engine in operation. vSuch an arrangement, however, is unsatisfactory in that it necessitates providing storage means foixtwo different kinds of fuel and also a special arrangement for injecting the A, thoroughly vaporizing a combustible liquid used as fuel in an internal combustion en.

eine. l,

It is another object 'of the invention to provide a vaporizer in which the liquid fuel is first heated and then after it is vaporized and y,mixed with air the mixture isfurther heated before it passes into the combustion chamber of the engine.

a still further object of the invention is to provide a vaporizer accomplishing the above objects which will be simple of construction,` cheap to manufacture,l and eilicient in operation.

To accomplish these objects and in ac-Y cordance with a feature of the-invention, there is provided a vaporizer equipped with electrically heated means vfor quickly and efficiently heating and vaporizing the liquid fuel as it is received from the storage tank. In accordance with another feature of the invention, means are provided for mixing the heated vapor with the proper amount of air to provide the desired explosive mixture and this mixture is further heated before'it is allowed to pass into the combustion chaiiiloerV of the engine.

. These and other features of the invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section partially in elevation showing a vaporizer embodying the features of this invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in a plane perpendicu- 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing` more clearly the. construction of the heating element as disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is provided a metal housingincluding an up` per .member 6 and a lower member 7. An intermediate member l8 preferably of brass is positioned between the members 6 and 7 and the parts are securely. held in place by means of the screws 9 `which pass through suitable openings in the members 6 and 8 and engage the threads of corresponding openings in member '7. The intermediate member 8 comprises a circular plate portion 10 in which are provided a pair of semi-circular openings 11-11. The

center portion of this member includes a hollow stein 12 which extends up into the tubular portion 13 of member 6. Radial ribs 14 and 15 disposed 180 apart are provided in member 8. Rib 15 is provided with a longitudinal perforation 16 which intel'- sects. the perforation 17 in stem 12'and also intersects a vertical perforation 18 which extends to the tube 19 leading to the source.

` anemie of fuel supply. A needle valve 2O is previded with a threaded portion adapted to engage similar threads in rib and its tapered portion engages a valve seat located in perforation 16 as shown. A suitable packing gland 21 is vprovided for needle valve to prevent leakage of fuel.

f The rib 14 is provided with asimilar needle valve 23 .which is provided with a, packing land' 24 for preventing leakage of fuel. lhis valve extends in a horizontall perforation 25 in rib 14 and opening directly into the 4tube 19 which` extends to the sourceof fuel supply. The perforation 25 is intersected by a perforation 26 centrally located in the member 8 and extending downward. A bushing 27 is provided in the tubular pr'tion 13, tapered as 'shown to provide a restricted opening in line with the upper portion vof stem 12. Located between this bushing `and the flange portion 28, which is adapted to be secured directly to the intake manifold of the engine, is a.but terfly valve 29l which is attached to a shaft 30 and regulated by movement of the` crank 31.//The member 6 is provided with a pluralityof ribs 32, 33, 34, and 35 which are in alignment with similar ribsl 36, 37, 38, and 39 extending upwardly from member 8. The lo/wer member 7 is also provided withsimilar ribs 40, 41, 42, and 43 which are in alignment with similar ribs extending downwardly from intermediate member 8. Thee rib members are provided yfor the purpose of clamping in place an upper heatin element 45'a1id a lower heating element 6. These disc-shaped heating elements lmay be of any desired construction 40, but, as shown, consist of a sheet of` mica 48 about whichy is wound a coil'of resistance wire 49 which passes over and under the sheet, the Wire having sufiicient rigidity to remain in the position in which it is shaped.` llnsulating sheets 50-50 of mica or similar material are provided to protect the outer side of the winding and the element is enclosed in a casing 51 which' is preferably. of copper or other good heat conducting material. The ends of each winding 49 are brought to terminal connectors 52-52 located in a block 53.0f insulating material such as hard rubber which is held in place on the intermediate member 8 by means of the screws 54-54. y The heating coils 45 and 46 may be connected either in multiple or in series as desired. The upper i. heating element is provided with a circular opening 55 through which extendsthe tube 12. The lower heating element 46 is provided at its center with a conical member 56 which is preferably of copperbecause of its goed heat conducting properties. The lower'member 7 is pro- 4vided with an opening 58 which is controlled by means of Aa buttery valve 59 secured to shaft 66, which controls the opening of the passageway leading to the interior of the device. t

The operation of this device a t the time of starting is as follows:

A source of electric energy is connected to the terminals 552-52 and causes current to flow through the' heating elements 45 and 46. Needle valvev 23 Ais then opened, allowing 4the liquid fuel to flow from the tube19 leading to the source of supply through the perforations 25 and 26. AS

thev fuel leaves perforation 26 it drops upon v the heated member 56 which, because of its conical shape, causes the fuel to be spread out over a comparatively large surface. Because of the heat of this member,

the liquid fuel is quickly and thoroughly vaporized and as the engine is turned over, the suction caused by the movement of the piston draws this vapor upward through the openings 11-1l, thence outwardly past the lower side of-member 45, through the circumferential opening 58, thence along the upper portion of heating element 45, through the bushing 27 and past the valve 29 to the intake manifold. It will be seen that this path for the vapor causes it to be thoroughly heated at the time it reaches theA engine. After the engine has become heated due to'- itsopera-tion, the needle valve 20 is opened, causing liquid fuel to flow through the openings 16 and 17, and-.at

the opening of tube 12 it is mixed with the heatedv air forming an explosive vapor which then passes on into the intake manifold. The needle valve 23 is then closed and the circuit for theheater coils 4 5 and since means, such for example as a vacuum feed float chamber of usual construction (not shown), may be provided for maintaining .the level of the liquid slightly below that of the upper portion of stem 12. Under such a condition, upon starting it/is only necessaryv to open theneedle valvey 23 and close the circuit through the heating coils and then when the parts have become heated, the needle valve 23 may be closed,the circuit for the heating circuit opened, and the device/ will then function in the regular manner, Whild/s ch a device is particularly advantageousjfor use'in connection with enginesloperated upon the less volatile fuels,

mesmo heating coils maybe arranged to be opened and closed automatically upon operation of the heating valve 23, and also if desired,

' the circuit through the heating coils may be kept closed to assist in the vaporization of the 'fuel during the complete operation of the engine.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. A vaporizer for internal combustion engines, comprising a mixing chamber, air and fuel inlet passages and a mixture outlet passage communicating therewith, and electrically heated superimposed plates ar.

ranged to heat and ba'ie the air and mixture passing through said chamber.

2. Av vaporizer for internal combustion engines comprising a chalnber, an air inlet passage and a mixture outlet passage communicating therewith, two superimposed electrically heated elements disposed withinsaid chamber to baille the air and mixture passing therethrough, and independentl fuel inlets adapted to feed fuel above each of said heated elements.

3. A vaporizer for internal combustion engines lcomprising a mixing chamber, an air inlet passage and a mixture outlet passage communicating therewith, electrically heated elements arranged to baffle the air and mixture passing through said chamber, fuel inlets arranged to feed fuel above each of said heated elements, and valves for controlling the feeding of fuel. to said fuel inlets.

4. A vaporizer for internal combustion engines comprising a chamber, an air inlet passage and an explosive mixture outlet passage communicating therewith, two Superimposed heating elements disposed within said chamber to baffle the air and explosive mixture passed therethrough, a fuel inlet arranged to feed, fuel onto the upper surface' of the lowermost heating element, a second fuel inlet adapted to feed fuel at a point above the-top surface of the uppermost heatingelement, and valves for independently controlling thefeeding of fuel to the saidinlets.

5. A vaporizer for internal combustion engines comprising a chamber, an` air inlet passage and an explosive mixture outlet passage communicating therewith, a valve in each passage for controlling the passage of air and explosive mixture therethrough, two superimposed heating elements disposed within said chamber to baliie the air. and the explosive mixture passed therethrough, a fuel inlet arranged to feed fuel above the upper surface of the lowermost heating element, a second fuel inlet adapted to feed fuel above the top surface of the uppermost heatingelement, and valves for independently controlling the feeding of fuel to the said' inlets.

6. A vaporizer for internal combustion engines comprising a chamber, an air lnlet passage and an explosive mixture outlet passage communicating therewith, two heating elements disposed within said chamber,

NY:vv-fuel inlet arranged ,above each of the said heating elements, and valves for independently controlling the feeding of fuel to the said inlets. l

In witness whereof, I .hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day of August, A. D.,

CHARLES E. REDDIG. 

